JUDGE REJECTS ENDORSEMENTS FOR THE BENCH

A Du Page County circuit judge has criticized the decision by the county`s bar association to make public its recommendations for two associate judges in hopes of influencing the selection.

In what it called ''an effort to negate the effect of outside political pressure'' in the associate judges` selection, the bar association made public last week the names of the three candidates it ''highly recommended.''

But, in a letter to bar association President Henry Burt, of Wheaton, Judge Robert Nolan said: ''I will not be influenced or coerced by the bar any more than I will be any other political individual or entity. I find your comments in Thursday`s Chicago Tribune to be insulting to the Judiciary of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court (Du Page County Circuit Court).''

Nolan is one of 10 full circuit judges who began interviewing 26 applicants this weekend for the 2 vacancies.

The release of the names broke a longstanding association tradition, but Burt said the group hoped the action would give it more influence in the selection. Full circuit judges choose the associates.

''All you`d have to do is run down the history of prior appointments and you`d come to the conclusion that so-and-so got to be appointed because of his connections,'' Burt said. His comments were interpreted by people in the county`s Circuit Court system as a criticism of the county Republican organization.

The three ''highly recommended'' applicants are attorneys Thomas Young of Lombard, Anthony Mannina of Downers Grove and Ronald Mehling of Glen Ellyn, Burt said.

Nolan said Burt`s comments damaged the chances for any of the three to be chosen.

''I believe the tenor of your comments has done a great disservice to Mssrs. Young, Mannina and Mehling,'' he said.

In the letter, Nolan said he also questioned the bar association`s selection process. ''What independent investigations were conducted, if any?

And what is the rationale of someone previously being found `highly qualified` and now being found `not presently recommended?`

''We cannot permit anyone to dictate the choices,'' Nolan said in rejecting the bar association`s recommendations.

The circuit`s full judges are to vote by secret ballot early next month.